Who's tried it? Who likes it?
Matt and I stopped by a great tea place at Tyson's a few weeks ago -- called Teavana. I don't know what they do to the tea, but it tastes out of this world. We're hoping fancy teas catch on. Still costs as much as fancy coffee, though.
I've seen signs for bubble tea here and there, and thought I'd finally try it that day. Matt said he'd have whatever I was having. His mistake!So this bubble tea stuff has any kind of tea you want, and you can add a flavor or sweeten it if you like, and also add milk, if that's your thing. The distinctive part (but apparently not the part that gives it the name 'bubble' -- Wikipedia confused me a bit here) is the tapioca balls at the bottom. Yes, tapioca balls. Balls of tapioca. You get a massive straw with which to suck up these balls and chew on them in between sips. Which is cool, in theory -- it's a drink, and a meal! But in practice, ewwww. I was a little more game about it at first -- Matt just wanted to chuck it -- but after awhile, I tired of mouthfuls of chewy tapioca. When we got home, I dumped it out on the grass, forgetting that those tapioca balls are well nigh indestructible -- they're still there.
Please let me know if you tried it, and especially if you liked it. Or if you've had it for years and my distaste has grievously offended you.
And if you visit our home any time soon, be careful to keep off the grass.
I love bubble tea. I like to experiment with weird milky sweet flavors like red bean. I like the surprise candies that sometimes glug up the straw. But then again, I also like tapioca pudding, black licorice, and spinach from a can with vinegar on it.
ReplyDeleteDottie -- I love all those things, too. maybe it was the quantity, and size, that got me. Too much.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Kate. I tried it once, and am of the opinion that tapioca belongs in pudding. In the form of much smaller balls. That you don't need to suck through a straw and chew.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed like a cool idea at first!
(On the other hand, I do like those southeast Asian drinks with things like jellied grass an jellied basil seeds in them. But at least those aren't chewy.)
I've never tried bubble tea, but I have to say it sounds less than appetizing. Altho, I'm firmly of the opinion that tapioca belongs in pudding, and is best reserved for stiffening the fruit in pies.
ReplyDeleteHere's a bad memory of it. I absolutely HATED tapioca pudding as a child. But my grandparents very badly wanted me to like it. They were especially enamoured of pearl tapioca. So when I was spending several weeks with them one summer, my grandmother made pearl tapioca pudding for dessert one night. BLECH!! Is all I have or had to say. It looked like fish eyes and nine-year-old me didn't hesitate to say so. At which my grandfather laughed heartily, and said, "Well, Little Lass, that's the other name it's called ... Fish Eye Pudding." EWWWWWW .... who wants to eat something called Fish Eye Pudding???!!!!!!!
LOVE it! I like the squishy chewiness of the bubbles. Can't get enough of them!
ReplyDeleteI had bubble tea at a thai resturant in NJ and there was no tapioca in it. I don't know why they called it bubble tea. However, I do love Teavanna. My brother introduced me to the place when he was down here. I can't believe I've been walking past it for almost two years and never stopped in.
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT! Been a fan for years. But to each her own, it does not offend me that you found the chewy bubbles unsavory.
ReplyDelete